After being demoted, my 300,000-strong army trampled the imperial city!

Chen Futu led two legions and swaggered straight into the border area between Tongguan and Longman.

Qin Liangyu continued to lead the White Spear Soldiers at the front, while she dispatched dozens of scouts to scout out various passes and key roads to prevent being ambushed.

Surprisingly, neither Shen Qiu, the garrison commander of Tongguan, nor Long Man took any action.

Cao Zhen asked, "My lord, are they not taking action now because they plan to wait until we leave before making a move?"

Chen Futu nodded.

When we arrived, Liu Bowen said that the main battlefield was nearby, but neither side would make a move now.

The morale of the Northern Frontier army is high, and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and the White-Spear Soldiers are renowned. A direct clash would not benefit any party. Therefore, the real variable lies within the territory of Western Zhao. Someone will be stirring up trouble in Western Zhao next.

One day later, the army officially set foot in Western Zhao.

The capital of the Western Zhao was Pingcheng, which belonged to the Western Regions. However, the style of the houses retained both the culture of the Central Plains and the Western Regions. Moreover, there were many merchants, and the city, which looked white and bustling at first glance, was quite prosperous.

After arriving at the outskirts of Pingcheng.

Chen Futu ordered Cao Zhen and the two female generals Luo and Du to garrison the city, leading the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and the White Spear Soldiers respectively. Then, he led a thousand elite troops to join Dian Wei and Qin Liangyu, and together they entered Pingcheng.

With two thousand elite guards, I don't expect any major problems.

Zhao Xier said with a smile, "Your Highness is truly bold, daring to enter my territory with only two thousand elite troops."

Chen Futu scoffed, "Same here. If the King of Zhao dares to go to Dragon City alone, what do I, the young master, have to fear?"

As they spoke, the group entered the city.

When the people in the city saw the army arrive, they all retreated. When they saw that Zhao Xi'er was sitting in the carriage, their fear subsided, and they cheered and shouted "Long live the king!"

Chen Futu was slightly surprised. Zhao Xier had a high reputation among the people of Xizhao, and almost everyone knew him.

The group arrived at the huge white stone square in the heart of Pingcheng.

A group of officials were already waiting after receiving the news.

These people were dressed unlike those from the Central Plains; most of them wore felt robes made of animal hides, and the military officers were no exception. At first glance, they exuded a barbaric and exotic atmosphere.

Qin Liangyu was quite alert, and her gaze locked onto several generals in the room.

Dian Wei secretly reminded him, "My lord, there are several who are not weak, three of them are of the eighth rank and one is of the ninth rank."

Within the small kingdom of the Western Regions, a ninth-rank military officer is considered a significant asset, but since it is a country after all, there is likely more than one ninth-rank officer in charge, and there should be others hidden among them.

"Lord Shu, please take the young prince and his entourage to the guesthouse to rest. Do everything the young prince needs, understand?"

Zhao Xier looked at an old man.

The old man nodded and smiled kindly at Chen Futu.

This man was Zhao Xier's right-hand man, Grand Tutor Shu Yuan.

Shu Yuan was a high-ranking official left behind by the old emperor of Western Zhao, and held a very high position in the country. Zhao Xi'er's decision to have him receive her showed her sincerity.

Next, Chen Futu and his group temporarily separated from Zhao Xier and arrived at a white earthen building.

The inn was filled with many beautiful women of exotic charm, a sight to behold.

"Your Highness, please rest here. I must return to see His Majesty. If you need anything, you may instruct the servants here."

"Grand Tutor, please go ahead. I'll wander around for a while and experience the Western Regions culture."

Chen Futu and Shu Yuan exchanged a few polite words.

After Shu Yuan left, Dian Wei whispered, "My lord, I think that old guy has shifty eyes and doesn't seem like a good person."

"Why do you say that?"

Chen Futu didn't find anything wrong with Shu Yuan; at least his manners were proper. As for not staying to accompany him, given his status, he wasn't suitable to be a tour guide.

“It’s hostility. He’s hiding it very well, but there is definitely hostility in him.”

Qin Liangyu suddenly said,

Chen Futu asked in astonishment, "This is my first time here. Surely he wouldn't be hostile towards me?"

"Clearly, he doesn't want to do business with you. Are the older generation of powerful ministers really willing to submit to an empress?"

Qin Liangyu's question silenced Chen Futu.

Come to think of it, the excessive power in Western Zhao was unnatural. Zhao Xier obtained the throne for nothing, and a powerful minister like Shu Yuan would not be willing to be controlled by a woman.

Therefore, Zhao Xier deliberately arranged for Shu Yuan to come and receive them.

"Heh, they want me to clash with Shu Yuan, drag me into their factional strife."

"Your Highness, what should we do?" Qin Liangyu asked worriedly.

When you're on someone else's turf, it's best to avoid getting too involved if possible, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble.

"Let's go see the scenery of Pingcheng before making any plans."

Chen Futu smiled nonchalantly and led the two out of the inn. Suddenly, an old woman hurriedly chased after them, saying, "Let this old servant lead the way for you."

Her name was Yama, and she was the main person in charge of the inn.

With her as his guide, Chen Futu could easily and quickly learn whatever he wanted.

Next, Yama took Chen Futu to see the various chambers of commerce and markets.

When it comes to markets, the most famous one is the slave market.

"Slaves?"

Chen Futu became interested.

How could there be such a barbaric place right under the emperor's nose in Pingcheng?

Yama explained, "Your Highness, please don't misunderstand. These are not slaves that our country seized during our campaigns, but rather slaves that we traded with the Western Regions."

Hundreds of miles west of here lie numerous kingdoms in the Western Regions.

The country was in great chaos, and the destruction of nations occurred frequently. The large number of slaves produced in the wars was too much to kill, but the country was too difficult to absorb them internally, so they were used as bargaining chips in trade.

Among the slaves were nobles and even members of the royal family, which greatly interested the high-ranking officials and nobles of Western Zhao.

Of course, the brothels were the most interested in slaves, especially the young women, who could be trained to serve customers after being bought.

"This really is a wild and untamed place."

Qin Liangyu gave her evaluation in front of Yama, which was the first time she had ever so humiliated a country.

It's clear she was very angry.

Yama opened her mouth, but ultimately did not refute anything.

The group arrived at the slave market and saw many wooden platforms filled with bound men and women kneeling.

They were disheveled, with dull and empty eyes, being selected like pigs and dogs. Nearby, someone even stripped a female slave naked, grabbed her hair, and excitedly introduced her origins and tribal civilization.

Chen Futu looked at the tragic scene with surprise, feeling uneasy and even a hint of anger.

As humans from another time and space, the education we received clashed with the primitive civilization of this world, resulting in an ideological clash.

"Your Highness, you don't look well. Are you feeling unwell?" Yama asked with a complicated expression.

Chen Futu shook his head. "It's alright, let's take another look."

"Please come with me, I will show you some real high-quality slaves, perhaps there will be one you like."

Yama led Chen Futu and the other two to another location.

Most of the slaves here are kept in wooden cages, and they are all women.

Unlike the slaves kneeling on the platform and bound like dumplings, they had fair and delicate skin, clearly indicating that they had lived a life of luxury.

"As you can see, they are descendants of nobles and royalty of a fallen kingdom, or even princesses or concubines of a fallen kingdom, like her..."

Yama pointed to one of the cages.